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MALAWICHELINDA ANNUAL CAMP - 2018

Eco-Mentor Workbook

Name: ___________________________________________________________________

Annual Camp | Eco-Mentor Workbook

1.

1. DAILY PLANNER

DAY 1TIME SUBJECT INFORMATION MENTOR(S) IN CHARGE MENTOR PG # CHILDREN PG #

10:00 Arrival Juice and biscuits All

10:00 – 11:00 Orientation Name tags and Getting to know you games Lead by: _________________________

All

11:00 – 11:15 Tent allocation By age and sex

Tent Leaders:1. 2. 3. 4.

11:15 – 11:45 Tippy Tap

Set up a Tippy Tap in a central area before the children arrive. Children should use the tippy tap to wash hands before meals and between activities. Take this opportunity to talk to the children about how Tippy Taps can help to save water, and how important good hygiene is.

Lead by: _________________________

Other Mentors:1. 2.

11:45 – 12:15 Orientation Unpack and room orientation Tent Leaders

12:15 – 12:30 Orientation Emergency drill and camp safety rules CITW Camp Rules are on pg 3 of the children’s workbook

CITW Programme CoordinatorChelinda Camp Manager

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch Wash hands at Tippy Tap Lunch All

Once you have assigned leaders / Mentors to activities, leaders should find their lesson plans and activities in both the Eco-Mentor and Children’s workbooks. Leaders should be sure to read through and prepare carefully for each lesson beforehand, and should make sure they have all relevant materials ready and prepared.


13:30 – 14:30 Team allocation

Mixed size, sex and age

Group names: Roan, Eland, Crawshay’s Zebra, Southern Reedbuck

Team Leaders:1. 2. 3. 4.

14:30 – 15:00Team allocation and getting to know you

Team to get into their groups. Hand out and direct children to their workbooks for information on their team animal. They should also fill in their team members names.

Team Leaders

15:00 – 15:20 Snack Wash hands at Tippy Tap Snacks All

15:20 – 16:30 Careers

Career choices for the future - children visit each of the four stations around camp (20mins at each).Rooms - Making beds; FOH - setting tables; Workshop - mechanics, oil, wheel change, etc.; Kitchen - make rolls / salad / something for their meal (each group to complete one step in the process)

Team Leaders (stay with groups and guide them through each station)

Chelinda Camp Staff

16:30 – 18:00 Sport in the Wilderness Sport in the Wilderness Lesson Lead by:_________________________

18:00 – 19:00 Dinner Dinner - grace and singing All

19:00 – 20:00 Camp fire Burning of fears and a story. Good night songLead by:_________________________

All

20:00 – 20:30 Showers Watch water usage Tent Leaders

20:30 – 21:00 Tent chat What are your expectations of camp? How did you feel arriving today? What do you hope to learn? Tent Leaders

21:00 Lights out Good night, sleep tight! All

DAY 2TIME SUBJECT INTENT MENTOR(S) MENTOR PG # CHILDREN PG #


05:30 - 06:00 Wake up Get dressed and tidy rooms Tent Leaders

06:00 - 06:30 Re-energiseChoose activities from the list of Energisers. Plan these carefully before you start to ensure they have the best impact.

Energisers: _____________

All

06:30 - 06:45 Leadership Value Discuss the leadership value for the day: Respect

Lead by:__________________

Other Mentors:

1.

2.

3.

06:45 - 07:15 Wash hands at Tippy

Tap Breakfast

Super Camper AwardSCA:__________________

All

07:15 - 10:00 Game Drive

Focus on antelope, birds, vegetation, but also pay attention to all other game. Encourage children to keep a list of the animals they’ve seen, and to take notes on what their guides are teaching them.

Guides

All


Tap. Snack

Children to regroup after game drive and have a loo break.

Group Leaders

Group Allocation Roan Eland Zebra Reedbuck MentorsStation 1:Station 2: Station 3:Station 4:

10:15 - 10:45 Team building Station 1 Station 2 Station 3 Station 410:50 - 11:20 Team building Station 2 Station 3 Station 4 Station 111:25 - 11:55 Team building Station 3 Station 4 Station 1 Station 212:00 - 12:30 Team building Station 4 Station 1 Station 2 Station 3


Tap Lunch

Super Camper AwardsSCA:__________________

All13:30 - 14:30 Reflection Children to fill out ‘I dream, I wish’ on pg 4 of their Tent Leaders


workbooks

14:30 - 15:00 Re-energise Choose activities from the list of Energisers.Energisers: _____________

AllGroup Allocation Roan Eland Zebra Reedbuck GUIDES / MENTORS

Circle of life:______________

Feet:____________________

Beaks: __________________

Web:________________

15:00 - 16:00 Bird and Antelope Lessons Beaks Web of Life

Circle of life Feet


Tap Snack

Snack All

Group Allocation Roan Eland Zebra Reedbuck GUIDES / MENTORSAs above16:30 - 17:30 Bird Lessons Feet Beaks Web of

life Circle of life

17:30 - 18:30 Obstacle Course Complete altogetherLead by:_______________

All


Tap Dinner

Super Camper Award SCA:__________________

All19:15 - 20:30 Movie The Lorax? All20:30 - 21:15 Shower and tent chat Reflect on the day’s activities Tent Leaders

21:15 Lights out Good night, sleep tight All


DAY 3TIME SUBJECT INTENT MENTOR(S) MENTOR PG # CHILDREN PG

#05:30 - 06:00 Wake up Get dressed and tidy rooms Tent Leaders

06:00 - 06:30 Re-energiseChoose activities from the list of Energisers. Plan these carefully before you start to ensure they have the best impact

Energisers:___________________

All

06:30 - 06:45 Leadership Value Discuss the leadership value for the day: Opportunity

Lead by:_____________________

Other Mentors:

4.

5.

6.

06:45 - 07:15 Breakfast Super Camper Award SCA:________________________

All

07:15 - 10:00 Game Drive

Focus on antelope, birds, vegetation, but also pay attention to all other game. Encourage children to keep a list of the animals they’ve seen, and to take notes on what their guides are teaching them.

Guides

All

10:00 - 10:15 Wash hands at

Tippy Tap Snack

Children to regroup after game drive and have a loo break.

Group Leaders

All

Group Allocation Roan Eland Zebra Reedbuck GUIDES / MENTORS

As yesterday10:15 - 11:30 Bird Lessons Circle of life Feet Beaks Web of life


11:30 - 12:30 Bird Lessons Web of life Circle of life Feet Beaks

12:30 - 13:30 Wash hands at

Tippy Tap Lunch

Super Camper Award SCA:_________________________All

13:30 - 14:30 Reflection Quiet time in tents to reflect on the day’s activities so far Tent Leaders

14:30 - 15:00 Re-energise Choose activities from the list of Energisers. Energisers:___________________All

15:00 – 15:30 Conservation Message

Tie it all together with one final conservation message, focused on birds. Guide / Mentor: _______________

15:30 - 16:30 What makes a bird a bird

Teams should spend 15mins at each station, and then move on. An overall, individual winner can be announced for each station.

Station 1:Station 2:Station 3:Station 4:

16:30 – 16:45Wash hands at Tippy TapSnack

Super Camper Award SCA:_________________________All

16:45 – 17:30 Make your Team Mascot

Teams now collect natural material to create their team animal. They should not damage anything, but rather collect what they find on the ground. They also use this time to revise all they’ve learnt over their days at camp in preparation for their quiz

Team Leaders

17:30 - 18:30 Quiz

Summary of questions based on learnings from the weekIt is important that Eco-Mentors contribute questions for the quiz. Each Mentor should give one good question from any activity. Be sure to start thinking of ideas for your questions from the beginning of camp.

*Quiz Master: _________________

18:30 - 19:15 Dinner Super Camper Award


SCA:________________________

All

19:15 - 20:30War cries, singing, photo slide show, certificates, gifts

Reflect on the day’s activities

**Photo slide show:____________

Certificates:__________________

All

20:30 - 21:15 Shower and tent chat Tent Leaders

21:15 Lights out Good night, sleep tight All

*Quiz Master: This person is responsible for reminding Mentors to think of relevant questions over the three days of Camp. It is also their responsibility to consolidate the questions into quiz format (eg.multiple choice questions, true or false, complete the sentence, or just general questions). They will also run the quiz on the final night, asking the questions and running the show

**Photo slide show: This person should ideally be the photographer, or someone who can consolidate all of the photographs from camp into a slide show for the camp. Make sure that every child is featured in the slide show. It is just a happy, fun way to end off camp.

DAY 4TIME SUBJECT INTENT MENTOR(S)

06:00 – 06:30 Wake Up Get dressed and tidy up Tent Leaders06:30 – 07:30 Pack up Tidy tent and bring bags to main area All

07:30 – 08:30 Wash hands at Tippy Tap Breakfast Breakfast, singing and grace All

08:30 – 09:00 Children depart with a packed lunch

Make this a quick but happy goodbye. Do not prolong the goodbye. Wave until the children are out of sight and site All

2. GETTING TO KNOW YOU GAMES

THROW AND SHAREMaterials: BallTime: 10minsProcedure: - Everyone stands in a circle facing inward. - The facilitator explains that we want to get to know each other’s names. - When you catch the ball you shout out your own name and then throw it to someone else.

Whilst this is happening, everyone must try and remember the names in the group.- When you (the facilitator) throw the ball you shout the name of the camper you are throwing it

to.- Once everyone has gone ask if anyone wants to be brave, and can try and name everyone Variation- Once the group has accomplished the task successfully, tell the group that they have until you

count to five to move to a new spot in the circle.- Once the group has rearranged itself, instruct them that they must pass the ball in the same

name pattern as before.- This is a great variation! This little twist really helps participants learn each other's names and

faces.

NAMES AND ACTIONSMaterials: NoneTime: 15minsProcedure:- Have the group stand in a circle. - Ask each person to think of a simple signal/action that will represent them (for example, tug

your ear with your fingers, make horns on your head with your hands, make your hands into binoculars and look through them, pretend to yawn, and so on).

- The children should try make their signal/action something that shows us who they are. For example: if they like singing, they could pretend to be singing into a microphone; they could pretend to be scoring a goal in soccer, or bouncing the ball in netball; perhaps they want to use the action of pretending to read a book if they enjoy reading. Or maybe they want to choose their favourite animal to represent them, and they could use their arm to represent an elephant’s trunk for example.

In order to get to know your campers, and for them to get to know each other, play as many of these games as time will allow. These are just a few ideas, but feel free to play other games that you know of. Don’t forget to start off by introducing the Team of Eco-Mentors as well as camp staff to the children.

NOTE: These can also be used as energisers – adapt them as necessary.


- Once everyone has decided on their own action, you can begin the game:1. Go around the circle and share your name and signal/action. 2. One person begins by walking into the middle of the circle, saying their name and doing

someone else’s signal/action. 3. The person whose action was done is the next to go into the middle of the circle, and they

then say their name and do someone else’s action. 4. The goal is to go around the circle as quickly as possible, and to remember everyone’s

signals/actions. 5. At the end of the game, talk to the children about:

How this game shows that everyone is different – we all had our own signals/actions that showed who we were.

STAND UP, SIT DOWNMaterials: NoneTime: 10minsProcedure: - Have the children spread out in front of you- Ask them questions, such as "do you have a sister?" or "are you wearing pink?" - If their answer is "Yes" they should stand up, and if the answer is “No”, then they stay seated. - Keep it fun and light, and try to ask the questions in quick succession so that they have to think

quickly. - Some ideas for questions:

o Do you like to sing? o Do you have brothers or sisters?o Do you know everybody’s names?o Are you wearing shorts?o Do you enjoy swimming? o Are you ready to have fun?

ACTION SYLLABLESMaterials: NoneTime: 10minsProcedure: - With the group standing in a circle, have the participants each choose an action for every

syllable of their name. o Example: Elvis (El-vis) has two syllables, so he does a hip shake with ‘El’ and snaps his

fingers for ‘vis’. o Example: Bongani (Bon-ga-ni) has three syllables, so he can clap on ‘Bon’ jump on

‘ga’ and nod his head of ‘ni’- Once a child has done their action while saying their name, the whole group repeats it. - Go around the circle until everyone has had a turn.


THE BIG WIND BLOWS…

Materials: Large space with ‘spots’. These spots could be cloth napkins, scrap pieces of paper, or water bottles – use what would work in your setting. If you have x number of participants then you need x-1 spot. In other words, you need one less spot than there are children. The ‘spots’ are to be laid in a large circle. Procedure:

- One person in the middle of the circle (without a spot) says, “The big wind blows everyone who…” then they say anything they want about some kind of characteristic. For example, “The big wind blows everyone who has trousers on”

- Then all those who have trousers must move to a new space.- One person will be left without a space and they must shout a new command and so the game

repeats.

ConcernsLanguage is always an issue, as is creativity. Some children will say the same things over and over again. Make sure the first few people stuck in the middle are the staff so the children can see how it works. Then let a children get stuck but make sure a staff member can go and help them out if they are shy.

VariationsIt doesn’t need to be the big wind blows. It could be “Everyone moves if…” or some variation of that if the language is an issue. Also, you can adapt this so it’s only something that is true about yourself, for example “Everyone moves if you have brothers”

BLANKET NAME GUESSMaterials: One big blanket and two people to hold the blanketProcedure: - Two people hold a blanket up, creating a ‘curtain’, hiding one group from the other. - The campers are divided into two equal groups and sit on opposite sides of the blanket. - One person on each team stands close to the blanket (in other words, they are standing directly

opposite each other, but the blanket is in between them)- On the count of three, the two Mentors holding the blanket drop it. - The first of the two people facing each other to say the others name is the winner. The ‘loser’

joins the other team. - The game ends when all campers are on one team.

ConcernsMake sure the children don’t cheat, some at the back may try and see the camper on the other side before the blanket is dropped. A dark blanket might help and making sure that they can’t see over, below or around it. Have a staff member on each side to ensure everyone has a turn. They might also like to have the children shuffle around so that they do not know who is next in line.

VariationsThey can shout the others team name or the name of their school instead


3. MAKE A TIPPY TAP (pg 8 of Children’s Workbook)

Select a central spot where you can place your Tippy Tap. Use the Tippy Tap to wash hands between activities and before meals.

Use this opportunity to talk to the children about the importance of clean hands (hygiene), as well as how Tippy Taps can help to save water, compared to using a normal tap. Tippy Taps reduce the chance for bacteria transmission as the user touches only the soap. It uses only 40 millilitres of water to wash your hands versus 500 millilitres using a mug. Additionally, the used “waste” water can go to plants or back into the water table.

Children should explain how to build a Tippy Tap in their workbooks and take notes on your discussion when there is spare time / during reflections. Encourage them to make these in their villages, homes and

How to build a Tippy Tap

Note: if there is a suitable tree nearby, you can use that instead of the 2 forked sticks

a. Dig 2 holes 50cm deep and as far apart as the length of what the cross stick is (1 metre).

b. Place the forked sticks in the holes and ensure that they are level.

c. Fill holes with soil and rocks and pack tightly.d. Heat the nail and make 2 holes in the water container

(one hole at top front of container for water flow and one hole at top back to release pressure).

e. Make a hole in the soap and thread string through soap. You can make holes without using candle. Use a nail or something sharp to pierce the container.

f. Hang container and soap on cross stick and place on forked supports.

g. Fill water container with water and attach string to mouth of container; screw on lid

h. Attach other end of string to short stick so one end of stick sits on ground and other end of stick is raised about 10cm off the ground.

i. To operate Tippy Tap, step on foot pedal with foot to tip water container


4. CAMP RULES (pg 3 of Children’s workbooks)

Objectives: Children to understand there are some simple rules to obey while in camp and these are to ensure their safety.

Materials: Colourful chart with the four camp rules clearly displayed. These are also in the children’s workbooks.

1. Explain the importance of rules for personal safety2. Staff to perform (or ask children to perform) a skit for each rule and encourage children

to explain what they believe the rule to be.3. Reiterate importance of these rules and any other safety considerations relevant to your

specific camp (i.e. rules with relation to pools, access to specific areas etc.)a. This should be done by the CITW Coordinator and Camp Manager. Fire drills

and emergency plans should be discussed with the children


5. TEAM ALLOCATIONS (pg 9 of Children’s Workbooks)

ROAN ANTELOPE1. The roan antelope is one of Africa’s largest bovids (hooved animals), only exceeded in size by the

African buffalo and eland. 2. It has a grey or brown coat, a black-and-white clown-like facemask—that is darker in males than

females—and long, tasseled ears.3. They prefer to graze on grass but will occasionally also feed on shrubs, herbs, and Acacia tree

pods. 4. They must drink regularly and inhabit areas where water is easily accessible.5. They play hide-and-seek with their young. Roan antelopes breed year-round, but births are more

common during the rainy season. When the calf is born, its mother conceals it in tall grass and does not wander too far from it.

6. The roan antelope is losing its living spaces. It has been eliminated from parts of its former range due to habitat loss resulting from human activity, such as agricultural expansion and new road and settlement construction.

7. Poaching is also taking its toll on the roan antelope. Hunting outside of protected areas is persistent.

ELAND

1. The eland is the world’s largest and slowest antelope2. A tuft of black hair grows out of the male eland's prominent dewlap, the loose fold of skin that

hangs down from the neck.3. Elands browse more than they graze, feeding in areas where shrubs and bushes provide the

leaves they prefer and using their horns to bring twigs and branches into reach.4. They also consume certain fruits, large bulbs, and tuberous roots.5. The older the male, the more solitary its tendencies, while younger animals may form small

groups.6. As human populations are growing and expanding settlements and agriculture, they are

encroaching on elands' living spaces and destroying habitats and food sources.

CRAWSHAY’S ZEBRA

1. The Crawshay’s zebra of South Luangwa is a distinct sub-species of the plains zebra and endemic to the park. This special zebra only lives in a relatively small area that spans eastern Zambia, Malawi, south-eastern Tanzania, and Mozambique.

2. You can tell Crawshay’s zebras apart from other zebras by their thinner and denser black stripes, which extend all across their underbelly and all the way down to the hooves.

Once the children are in their teams, gather together in teams to introduce their Team Animal.

- They should colour in the star to show which group they belong to. - Children should also use this opportunity to fill in page 5 of their workbooks

where they list their team members. - If time allows, read through the other group’s animals too


3. Zebras are grazers that feed only on grasses.4. Zebras are very fast-moving animals, and can reach speeds of up to 65kmph when galloping

across the plains.5. A zebra’s stripy coat is thought to disperse more than 70 per cent of incoming heat, preventing

the animal from overheating in the African sun.6. A zebra's stripes act like an equine fingerprint - each individual’s pattern is unique. Foals

recognise their mothers by the pattern of their stripes, as well as by scent and call.7. For protection, zebra groups often come together in large herds, regularly mixing with other

grazers such as wildebeest. As well as providing more eyes and ears to look out for danger, a large herd is confusing to a predator, making it harder to single out individual prey.

SOUTHERN REEDBUCK

1. Southern reedbucks live in pairs or alone. Sometimes, they form herds consisting of about 20 members.

2. They prefer to lie in grass or reed beds in the heat of the day and feed during sunrise and sunset, or sometimes even at night.

3. It is active all the time in summer, but it is nocturnal in the wet season.4. They can camouflage themselves in the grasslands due to the colour of their coats, which are

almost the same colour as the grass. 5. As a herbivore, the reedbuck mainly feeds on grasses. It also eats herbs and reeds. It never

enters into water, though it inhabits places with water sources. 6. It needs to drink water every few days to several times a day during the dry season.7. Southern reedbucks remain widespread, but they have been eliminated from some parts of their

former range by the spread of human settlement which has led to habitat destruction and hunting for meat and trophies.


6. CAREERS IN CAMP (pg 13 of Children’s Workbook)

1. 15minutes: Talk to the children about Eco-Tourism, using these notes to help you. These notes are also in the children’s workbook:

ECO-TOURISM

What is Eco-Tourism?

Tourism is to travel to a place where you don’t live for a holiday. A person who does this is called a tourist.

Hospitality is the friendly and generous welcome and entertainment of guests, visitors, or tourists coming to where you live or work.

Eco-Tourism is environmentally responsible travel, where tourists go to enjoy and appreciate nature and cultural experiences.

What Are The Benefits Of Ecotourism?

Eco-Tourists spend money in areas that have natural beauty and where the environment is well cared for.

Eco-Tourists help to create jobs in these areas – because they need somewhere to sleep, a guide, and food to eat etc.

Eco-Tourists become aware of the natural beauty of an area, and wish to visit it again, or tell their friends to visit it – which brings more money into these areas.

Eco-Tourists help to take care of the environment – they take nothing from it, and leave nothing behind (like litter).

Eco-Tourists learn about local history and culture. Eco-Tourists need services, thereby creating employment opportunities for the local community

members.

For good ecotourism, which benefits local people, there must be three ingredients:

1. A beautiful natural area, being well taken care of, with good biodiversity2. People who want to visit that place (tourists)3. People to look after the tourists when they get there (hospitality)

A wilderness area is a region where the land is in a natural state; where impacts from human activities are minimal. It is also sometimes called a wild or natural area.

Wilderness areas are important because:

They provide long-term protection for animals and plants (conservation); They protect our continent’s spectacular natural beauty;

The children will now spend 20 minutes at each station, being shown how things work at camp, and by default will be exposed to potential careers in the Eco-Tourism industry. Be sure to spend a few minutes before they split up talking about eco-tourism and why camps like these are important for Malawi.


They protect our continent’s natural biodiversity; Protected wilderness areas provide opportunity for employment.

2. 15mins per station: The children will now spend 15 minutes at each of the below stations, in order to be exposed to how things work at camp. Encourage the children to get involved, and to take notes in their workbooks about the things they learn at each station.

a. Housekeeping – making bedsb. Front of house – setting the table for dinnerc. Workshop – mechanics, changing tyres, oil and water etc. d. Kitchen – make rolls / bread / salad (whichever can be broken into steps so that each

team can have a hands on experience by doing their part in the kitchen – for example, team one chops the lettuce, team two the tomatoes, team three the cucumber and team four the feta, etc.)

Note: It is always nice for the children to be able to enjoy their work – so if possible, whatever they’ve made in the kitchen should be served with dinner. Setting the table with front of house is another example of this.


7. SPORT IN THE WILDERNESS

STAGE 1 – ENERGISER

WILD DOG COMMUNICATION

Time: 10minsMaterials: NoneLocation: Under the trees

1. Using the notes below, introduce the animal for the day – the Wild Dog. Be sure to focus on how Wild Dogs communicate, as this is relevant to the energiser.

WILD DOGSWhat do they look like?This carnivore is a member of the dog family, and measures 750mm at the shoulders. Males are slightly larger than females and weigh 20-30 kg as adults. Each individual has a unique coat pattern, which makes it possible to identify every individual in a population with certainty. Their scientific name, Lycaon pictus, literally means painted wolf, referring to their mottled fur with black, brown, yellow-gold and white colourings.

How are their families structured?

The idea behind Sports in the Wilderness (SITW) is to incorporate as many different types of sports as possible into conservation and environmental education. The goal is to get children moving, practising new skills and learning at the same time. They do not have to be experts at a sport, or master any skills and drills, but rather just play and use their bodies.

Each lesson focuses on a specific animal. There is a theoretical lesson on the animal, a conservation message, and sporting activities that relate to the animal. In line with the Flow Learning Technique, children work through the four stages of learning:

1. STAGE ONE – AN ENERGISER

Children will be introduced to an animal. Stage one will be an energiser that relates to the animal. This could include stretches, warmups or a game related to the animal.

2. STAGE TWO – THEORETICAL LESSON

Stage two is the theoretical lesson where children learn more about the animal. The lesson could focus on the plight of an endangered species, the family dynamics of certain animals, how they depend on the environment and so on.

3. STAGE THREE – PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

Stage three is the practical experience. This could be a specific type of sport that focuses on the characteristic of the animal, or an activity that involves movement and is relevant to the animal.

4. STAGE FOUR – A DEBRIEF

Stage four is a debrief, where the knowledge learnt is recapped, and conservation messages are encouraged.


Wild dogs have the most structured social order of the carnivores, living in packs led by a dominant male and female. All other members of the pack play a subordinate role to the alpha pair. When a litter of pups is born, they take priority over even the alphas. At first pups are fed by the dogs regurgitating fresh meat after returning from a hunt, but once old enough, they are taken to the kill and given first choice over the kill. The other dogs patiently wait on the side lines, standing guard until their turn to feed.

They almost never fight amongst themselves over food due to this ranking system. When a dog becomes ill, injured or elderly restricting their effectiveness as a hunter, the rest of the pack cares for and feeds them.

How and why they communicateWild dogs are masters of the collective approach to hunting, meaning that they work together (collectively). A hunt begins at sunrise or sunset when the dogs perform a greeting ceremony, sniffing and licking each other, wagging their tails and twittering aloud.

They make a range of chattering sounds and have a distinctive long-distance greeting call - a sharp ‘Hoo’ - that can be heard up to four kilometres away.

They also whine when begging and their alarm call is a deep bark. Urine scent marks are used to show that an area is occupied. African wild dogs also communicate by body posture and tail position. Tail tucked between the legs signals fear and submissiveness. A friendly dog has an upright posture and it curls its tail up over its back. An aggressive dog will be rigidly upright.

Time: 15minsMaterials: Pencils, other small items that can be hiddenLocation: Open playing area

2. Now, play the energiser on Wild Dog Communication:

1. Before the game starts, the Eco-Mentors scatter and hide objects around the playing area. The objects must all be the same, and must be relatively small. For example, scatter pencils around the playing area.

2. Divide the group into even teams, with 5 - 6 people per team.

3. Each team must imagine that they are Wild Dogs, and must choose an alpha dog or captain.

4. When the Eco-Mentor shouts ‘GO’ all the teams run out and begin to search the playing area for the objects that you’ve hidden.

5. The special rule is this: only the captain of each team may touch and collect the objects. Therefore, in order to attract the captain's attention, the team members must call their leader by making a Wild Dog sound. Give them a few minutes before the game starts to practise making their Wild Dog sounds so they get used to their team’s sounds.


6. The captains listen for their team's sound, and race to collect as many objects as possible.

7. The team whose leader collects the most number of objects at the end of a given time limit is the winner. Play a few rounds, but stick to the time limit for the energiser of 15mins!

8. Debrief: Bring the children together at the end of the game. Talk about how important it is to Wild Dogs that they communicate with each other

effectively They depend on communication for team work, to hunt efficiently and keep track of

where members of their pack are

STAGE 2 – THEORETICAL LESSON

ALL ABOUT WILD DOGS

Time: 20minsMaterials: NoneLocation: Under the trees

1. Using the notes below, teach the children all about Wild Dogs Be sure to focus on why they are endangered, and the huge threat that Wild Dogs face

HABITAT: Wild dog’s habitats are woodlands and are also found on open plains and savannas.

TERRITORY: They can roam over long distances - up to 250 square kilometres - and may travel over 50km in a single day looking for food. As a result, their territories can range between 400 and 1500 square kilometres. They only remain in one area when denning.

HUNTING TECHNIQUES:Wild dogs hunt by sight and by daylight, either in the early morning, or in the early evening. The pack often approaches herds of prey within several hundred metres, but they select a particular animal only once the chase begins. The pack functions as one hunting unit and the group cooperates closely in hunting and defending themselves.

Their survival is dependent on the pack. A wild dog by itself is not that much of a threat to other animals, but a pack is a different story. They depend on teamwork.

WILD DOGS ARE IN SERIOUS DANGER:Wild Dogs are endangered. This means that they are at serious risk of becoming extinct. Here are a few facts about this critically endangered species:

The Wild Dog is Africa’s most endangered large carnivore. The total Wild Dog population in Africa is only between 3000 – 5000 individuals. Wild Dogs are considered to be extinct in 23 countries in Africa already! Wild Dogs are particularly in danger of snares and because they move around over huge

distances, they are often hit by cars.


In natural areas the lion is the Wild Dog’s main enemy and competitor.

Why are Wild Dogs in danger? Because Wild Dogs move around over large distances and areas, they are very sensitive to

habitat fragmentation. o Habitat fragmentation is the ‘breaking apart’ of continuous habitat into distinct pieces

/ partso With more and more land being taken over by humans for settlement and farming,

Wild Dog’s habitats are being broken apart into smaller areas.o This means that they often have to move through areas where humans are in order to

get to where they want to go. This results in conflict with humans and other animals. Farmers might kill Wild Dogs because the Wild Dog hunt their livestock.

Accidental killing by people in snares and road accidents Infectious disease. All of these causes are associated with human encroachment on African Wild Dog habitat. It

seems unlikely to undo the damage that has been caused by human encroachment.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?You might not think you can do anything. You might feel like this problem is ‘too big’. But here are a few ideas of what you can do to help protect and fight for the protection of Wild Dogs: Spread the word: share what you have learnt with your family, friends and community.

People need to understand that Wild Dogs are harmless, and endangered, and as such, need to be protected.

Keep your livestock safe: by building bomas that Wild Dogs cannot access, you are limiting the potential of Wild Dogs harming livestock. This then means that there won’t be human-wildlife conflict, that farmers will not kill Wild Dogs unnecessarily.

STAGE 3 – PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT

The theory behind the game is to show students that Wild Dogs are just doing what Wild Dogs do, and will hunt for food. They may even hunt for food in human settlements where humans keep cattle or other domestic animals.

MATERIALS: Open space.

TIME: 20 minutes to play, and 10mins to ensure a proper debrief of the meaning of the game.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Select a few students to be Wild Dogs. They are ‘on’ and have to catch as many ‘goats’ as possible.

2. Select a few students to be farmers. The farmers’ aim is to save as many of their goats as possible.

3. Both the farmers and the Wild Dogs need a den/kraal on opposite sides of the field. They can use their shoes, or any other objects, to make these safe spaces – they can just lay out a square.


4. The rest of the group should be divided in half – half will be goats, and the other half will be impala. The impalas and goats are in the open playing filed. THE WILD DOGS SHOULD NOT SEE WHO IS WHO.

5. The fun begins when the farmers and Wild Dogs have to catch as many goats and impala as possible and put them safely in their dens (the farmers to save their goats and impala, and the Wild Dogs are looking for dinner).

6. The winner is the team that has the most goats and impalas at the end of the game.

7. Rotate students so that they all have a chance to be either the catcher (the Wild Dogs and farmers), or the catchee (the goats and impala).

DEBRIEF

• Ask students if the Wild Dog knows the difference between the goats, and any other wild antelope they may hunt.

o The point is that the Wild Dog is just doing what a Wild Dog does – it doesn’t know that it is affecting the farmer.

• Ask students for their ideas on how to avoid human-wildlife conflict.

• Why does human wildlife conflict occur?

• What animals are most involved in the conflict and why?

• What can be done to stop the conflict?

STAGE 4 – DEBRIEF

A SUMMARY OF THE LESSON

Have the children split into groups of 5 or 6. They need to discuss the answers to these questions, before reporting back to the whole group.

1. Explain how Wild Dogs hunt. 2. How do Wild Dogs work as a team to hunt and care for each other? 3. Give two reasons why Wild Dogs are endangered. 4. What are you doing to do to try and protect Wild Dogs?


8. BURNING OF FEARS

Name: Story Telling and Burning of FearsTime: 30 minutesMaterials: Costume for a Wise Man (or ethnic blanket for storyteller) – pencils, post it pads/paper, cup of sugar

Directions:

The camp fire leader introduces a famous wise man who is visiting. Tell the campers that he will be telling a story that has been passed down through generations

by his ancestors. It is a story of hope, safety and security. At the end of the story, the old man tells the children he has the power to drive away people’s

fears. The children are to think of things that make them scared or thoughts that worry them. The old man gives a pencil and a piece of paper to each child and asks them to write down their

fear on that paper. They are then told to fold the paper up tightly. One at a time the Old Man calls the children to come up and throw their paper into a big bowl /

basket, and he child says loudly “Go Away Fear”. The wise man then throws all of the children’s fears into the fire, along with the sugar causes the flame to jump up and this helps to emphasise the power of the old man.

Concern: Some of the children are very scared of any type of witchcraft and sorcery. Make sure this is kept light and fun rather than dark and mysterious.

The idea of Burning of Fears is to put children at ease and to help them feel safe and happy in camp and to encourage them to let go of limiting beliefs


9. CAMPFIRE ACTIVITY

Name: Rain MakingKey idea: Quieten campers down Materials: NoneProcedure: A great quiet down activity at the end of a campfire. Make sure the campers know they must not talk or make any other noise during this activity.

One staff member slowly walks around the group demonstrating different sounds to make that will mimic a rain storm.

Start with rubbing hand together, Then quiet snapping, Patting two fingers together, Clapping, Patting on the legs, Stomping Repeat these in reverse order as if the storm is passing


10.TENT TALKS

Time: 10 – 15 minutesGoals of the Activity: To discuss the day’s events and explore feelings around these activities

What is a Tent Chat?

This includes each tent leader and their group. Tent chats are very important and compulsory to lead. The aim is to have a moment away from the action of the camp for the kids to talk and bond with each other and with their tent leader. It is a unique opportunity for the group to reflect on the day’s events and activities and how the program is going. The tent chat represents an emotionally safe place where children can share their thoughts and experiences with each other without being judged. The tent chat is also an opportunity to get to know each child individually and to evaluate how they are doing and what about our programme is having an impact.

Do you have to talk?

The tent chat is participation by choice activity. The tent leader traditionally starts and leads the chat by talking about something they enjoyed or noticed during the day. It could be anything from the highlight of the morning game drive to sports. It could be unrelated to the camp and involve disclosing personal information to the group that they didn’t already know, like your favourite food, how many brothers you have or your favourite book. The point is to get the group relaxed and talking (if they want to). Be inventive about getting the kids talking.

We have given some ideas of tent chat subjects on each day’s curriculum that pertains to the day’s learning. You can use these or create your own

What if some of the children don’t want to talk?

That doesn’t matter; they can just listen and join in when they feel comfortable. If none of the kids want to talk, you (as tent leader) still have to talk!

What are the rules?

The main rule is to avoid any negative discussion or criticism. The group is not allowed to make fun of another member. The atmosphere must be comforting and informal. One word of caution when facilitating group chats: pay attention if serious topics come up. Be sensitive, keep conversation flowing, and make sure that the environment remains comfortable for everyone, but also that each

Why Tent Chats?

It is important that staff spend time with their campers in order to:

Reflect on the day Discuss and alleviate any fears about being in the bush Bring the energy levels down Assure them there is a caring adult close by Talk about home life and camp experience Build trust and friendship Monitor their feelings and experience of camp


participant has an opportunity to speak freely. It is the responsibility of the tent leader to facilitate these chats in a manner that will promote this atmosphere.

Please avoid the often-requested scary story. This can often have a negative effect on a participant. Remember that group chat is for the participants. Although it is important for staff to be involved, your primary role is to facilitate the conversation rather than to dominate it.

VALUE ROUND UP (pg 6 and 7 of children’s workbook)

There is a value specified for each day of the curriculum. The value needs to be introduced at breakfast with a short skit to demonstrate the meaning. Thereafter it is up to the Activity leaders to ensure that during the course of the day’s activities, this value is reflected on and highlighted. It is also a good idea to reflect on the value during the tent chats or camp fire.

At the night’s Camp Fire, ask for a camper to volunteer to explain to the group what the value of the day was, how they learned more about it during the day and how they might use it when they get home.

During your Tent Chat, following on from campfire, tent leaders can continue the discussion in their tents before lights out by asking their campers what they learned about the value for the day and how they can use it in the future.

Reflection / Quiet Time

You can use the resources in the children’s books from page 37 onwards. Here, you will find stories to read, word searches to complete colouring in activities, space for children to draw pictures and a list where children can keep track of things they’ve seen on camp. Quiet time can also be used for the children to complete and revise any activities which they did not get a chance to during camp time.

11.ENERGISERS

Possible topics for Tent Chats:

The day’s events (their favourite part of the day and why) Of all the animals of the world, which one do you prefer and why? What ways do you relax before you go to sleep where you live? What does friendship mean to you? What do you do for fun where you live? What did you learn today? What was challenging today? How did you deal with it? What is your favourite place in nature and what makes is special? Animal Representation - each person to select an animal and describe why they associate

themselves with that animal What have they learnt about themselves in the past few days? (A potential topic for last

night) How can you take these feelings / this learning home? (A potential topic for last night) Is there anything that they feel they will do differently when they leave the camp and

why? They can also choose their own topics!

Below are a few Energisers which you can use throughout the camp programme. Ask the children and teachers to teach you any new energisers they might want to share with the group. You can also use this energiser time to sing and dance, or to stretch and do light exercises.


Name: Elephant, Lion, SpringbokObjectives: Campers will try guess their partners characterMaterials: NoneProcedure: Teach the campers how to act out each of the three characters. As you teach each character, have the group enthusiastically repeat back the character name and the motions that go with it.

1. Elephants: use your arm to make a trunk, and shout out ‘Elephants!’

2. Lions: Use your hands to make a mane, while you make your face look as though you are growling like a lion. Shout ‘Lion!’

3. Springbok: Spring up and down like a springbok and shout ‘Springbok!’

4. Ask the group to get into pairs. With their backs to one another, after the count of 3 they must jump around facing their partner doing one of the characters actions. The aim is to communicate with their actions to guess which character you partner is thinking of.

Variations: You can change the characters to be any other animals that are easy to assign an action to (for example, cheetah, zebra, tortoise, fish, bird). Could even try guide, poacher, rhino.

Name: Let Me See Your AeroplaneObjectives: Campers sing and danceMaterials: NoneProcedure: 1. In a circle one camper starts by singing: Camper: Let me see your aeroplaneEveryone replies: What did you say?Camper: I said let me see your aeroplaneEveryone: What you say?Camper: I said let me see you aeroplane

2. Everyone dances like an aeroplane singing: Oh ah ah ah oh ah ah ah oh

The song continues with the next camper volunteering a verse such as: Let me see your crocodile, frog, monkey, rhino, elephant etc.

Name: Impala , Impala, CheetahObjectives: Campers chase each otherMaterials: NoneProcedure:

1. 1. Everyone sits in a circle. 2. One person is walking around the outside of the circle.

This person taps heads as they pass saying, impala, impala, impala….

3. 2. If they say ‘Cheetah!’ the person who has been tapped and called ‘cheetah’ jumps up and chases them.

4. 3. If the person who is being chased gets to the space left open by the ‘Cheetah’ they sit down and the Cheetah starts tapping heads instead, carrying on from where they were sitting originally.

5. 4. If the original person is tagged by the ‘Cheetah’ before they reach the space they must carry on tapping heads and choose a new ‘Cheetah’

Concerns: Make sure there are no obstacles around the circle. Dust can also be a problem for slipping!

Name: Hi Five Objectives: Campers will be in pairs. They will have to listen and follow instructions.Materials: Open spaceProcedure: 1. Have two people to demonstrate the actions before

each go. 2. In their pairs, partners stand facing each other. They

must take ten steps back from each other, so that when the facilitator says ‘go’ they run into the middle to carry out the instruction given.

3. The demonstrators are in the middle. They say, ‘When I say go, you and your partner are going to run into the middle and give a ‘hi five’ with your right hand and then go back to your spot.’

4. The second time, the demonstrators say, ‘When I say go, you and your partner will run to the middle and give a ‘hi five’ with your right hand and then your left hand and then go back to your spot.’

5. This continues: Right hand, left hand, right foot, left foot, over the head, behind your back, between the legs, in push up position, (with your hands on the ground and stomach up) right foot, (with your hands on the ground and stomach up) left foot, and finally, shake hands.

Remember they have to do each one every time. It wears the kids out because it is a lot of running but it’s silly and fun.Concerns: It helps if you have a level space. Try and play out of the dust.


Name: People to PeopleObjectives: Kids will move around from person to person and listen to instructions.Materials: NoneProcedure: 1. Facilitator tells the campers that when they yell

‘People to People’ they must quickly find a partner.

2. Once everyone has a partner the facilitator will yell out various body parts like, knee to knee, foot to foot, etc. When the body part is yelled out everyone quickly matches their body part with their partners.

3. After you do a few body parts the facilitator yells, ‘And People to People’ at which time everyone changes partners and you start over.

Concerns: Make sure that you don’t yell body parts that are inappropriate (like chest to chest, mouth to mouth, and so on)

Name: Simon saysObjectives: Children need to listen to instructionsMaterials: NoneProcedure:1. One person is ‘Simon’, the others are the players. 2. Standing in front of the group, Simon tells players what

they must do. However, the players must only obey commands that begin with the words "Simon Says."

3. If Simon says, "Simon says touch your nose," then players must touch their nose. But, if Simon simply says, "jump," without first saying "Simon says," players must not jump.

4. Children that do what Simon says when they shouldn’t, must stand out of the game. They can re-join after a few rounds of Simon calling out instructions so they don’t miss out on the fun.

Name: River / bankObjectives: Children to concentrate on listening to instructions to decide which side of the line they should beMaterials: NoneProcedure: 1. In the middle of the open space in which you’ll play,

draw a long line in the sand (or use string to make a marker).

2. The left side of the line is the river bank, and the right side of the line is the river.

3. The children start off standing on the ‘riverbank’ along the line that divides the river from the bank.

4. The facilitator will then call out either river, or bank. The children have to jump over the line, to the side that the facilitator has called out.

5. The facilitators will speed up the instructions, and try and catch children out.

6. If they are on the wrong side, children are ‘out’

Name: Trick ClapObjectives: Children to concentrate on waiting for the right moment to clapMaterials: NoneProcedure: 1. The facilitator holds one hand high in the air and the other one next to their sides.

2. They explain to the group that whenever the facilitator’s hands pass each other moving up or down, the group is to clap. Try this a couple of times slowly to give the group a chance to try it out. They must clap as the hands pass each other.

3. Start mixing in some tricks where the hands look like they are going to pass each other but do not.

4. It is good to end with the hands passing each other often and quickly creating an applause sound from the group.

Name: Eagle and Mouse Game (BIRD ENERGISER)Objective: Eagle has to catch and eat as many mice as possibleMaterials: A blindfold and an open area to play in.Procedure:1. Have all the children stand in a circle. The students

represent trees. They should plant their feet like trees in the ground and not move or make a sound.

2. Pick one student to be the eagle. This student is blind-folded and stands in the middle of the circle.

3. Pick one or two students to be mice. They are not blindfolded but are also in the middle of the circle.

4. Explain that the goal is for the eagle to catch a mouse by only using sound. The eagle says "eagle." Every time the eagle says this the mouse must respond with "Mouse." As in the game Marco Polo, the eagle has to find the mouse by listening to where its voice is coming from. Once the eagle catches the mouse, pick a new eagle and mouse. The

Name: Blind Owl Game (BIRD ENERGISER)Background: Owls have amazing, highly developed hearing. Owls' ears are placed asymmetrically on their heads, one slightly higher than the other. This increases their ability to distinguish sounds, where they are coming from, and how far away they are. This is particularly helpful for owls when they are hunting at night. Barn owls are believed to have better hearing than any other animal and can even hear a human heart beat.Objectives: Campers try and steal treasure by being quietMaterials: Treasure, line on the ground, blindfoldProcedure:

1. Choose a camper or a staff member to be the owl. They are blindfolded and sit with the ‘treasure’ (can be a rock/ wood etc.) in front of them.

2. The line is drawn 20m away and all the campers are behind


trees are there as a buffer to keep the eagle contained and from bumping into anything. It should be enforced that this is strictly a walking game.

the line. 3. The object is for the campers to steal the treasure without

being heard by the owl. 4. If the owl hears someone, he/she points to them and they

are out for that round.

Make sure a judge is standing next to the owl to see whether they really hear someone, the owl is not allowed to wave their hands around, the pointing must be specific. The stealers are not allowed to run.


12.LEADERSHIP VALUES (pg 6 and 7 of Children’s Workbook)

LEADERSHIP AND VALUES

What makes a good leader? A good leader listens A good leader makes decisions A good leader can admit mistakes A good leader takes responsibility A good leader remains calm under pressure A good leader inspires others to follow A good leader is willing to do the right thing, even if it makes him/her unpopular.

What are Values?Values are the beliefs, feelings and skills that guide a good leader. Here are a few important leadership values: Awareness – knowing and understanding yourself, other people and the environment. Creativity – seeing and coming up with solutions, ideas and plans. Integrity – being reliable and trustworthy, staying true to what you can achieve (your potential). Perseverance – to keep going on, and remaining strong when you experience complication,

tragedy or people going against what you believe. Service – sharing resources and skills selflessly and effectively, using your strength and

experience to take meaningful action and contribute to a great good. Focus – recognising and concentrating on important information. Empathy / Compassion - understanding a person’s feelings, and motives.

admit – to make something knownresponsibility – to take control inspires – to encourage/give support to people to do something unpopular – not liked beliefs – things people believe to be trueskills – the ability to do something well solutions – coming up with the answer to a problemreliable – someone you can trust or depend ontrustworthy – when you trust that someone is honest and truthfulachieve – to do something successfullycomplication – when something becomes difficult tragedy – an event that causes disaster or despair resources – stock or supplyselflessly – being concerned more about others than yourselfeffectively – done properly to achieve a goalrecognising – seeing and understandingconcentrating – focusing all of your attentionmotives – reason for doing something

After your energisers in the morning, introduce one of the leadership values. Try to bring this value up throughout the day, wherever appropriate. The Leadership Values which we will focus on for this camp are Respect and Opportunity. Use the skit, story and discussion points as a guideline for leading the lessons on leadership values.


RESPECT – DAY 2

1. Talk to the children about what respect is:

2. Role-play the skit below: Have a few Eco-Mentors pretending to be the children (this always makes it fun and the children

can relate to this easily). They are standing in line waiting to dish up their food at camp, when one ‘disrespectful’ Eco-

Mentor pushes in front of everyone. As the disrespectful Eco-Mentor is pushing past everyone, he/she trips over a plant (perhaps use

a dead branch to represent this). He/She is so cross that they tripped, they kick the plant and say something along the lines of “Stupid plants!”

When the Eco-Mentor gets to the front of the line, the person serving the food tells them that what they did was wrong. They should focus on:

o How they disrespected all the children in the line by pushing past themo How they disrespected the planto How they disrespected the camp rules which are there to keep everyone safe and

happy.o The disrespectful Eco-Mentor says that they don’t care and shouts back.

What is respect?

Respect is thinking and acting in a positive way about yourself, others and your environment. Respect is thinking and acting in a way that shows others you care about their feelings and their well-being, or acting in a responsible way to look after your environment. Give examples of how you can show respect:

Respect yourself and others by… Not calling people mean names Treating people with kindness Caring enough about yourself that you don't do things you know can hurt you You follow your parents' rules to show them you care (respect) how they feel about the

situation You dress, speak, and act in a way that shows you care about what you know is right and

safe, because you care about (respect) yourself and your well-beingRespect your environment by… Throwing rubbish away, and recycling Starting a compost heap or worm farm Planting and caring for trees and plants Switching off any appliances you aren’t using Use water carefully – do not waste it


3. Now, have the children discuss this by raising their hands to tell you what was wrong about role-play. Ask them to tell you how the disrespectful Eco-Mentor should have acted in this situation. Use the notes on respect to help you.

OPPORTUNITY – DAY 3

1. Talk to the children about opportunity.

2. Read the children this story, which was written by Geoffrey Aupiti, the Children in the Wilderness Coordinator who sadly passed away a few years ago:

3. Conclude by talking to the children about how important it is to use the opportunities you’ve been given.

Opportunity is the potential that something positive will happen. Talk about opportunity, and relate it to the children’s current opportunity of being on a CITW camp – they are able to learn about the environment and experience certain things (game drives and bush walks for example, that not many other children their age from their communities will) for example. They have the opportunity to choose the direction they would like to go I their lives.

“I have story, and the theme of the story is “OPPORTUNITY” and how one can use the opportunity for his/her life success. You are all very special to be here and that is opportunity.

My story is all about one pastor, if there are Christians please bear with me as this is a story that one can understand the meaning of opportunity.

There was a pastor who was walking along a dried food plain 20 years back. During the course of his walk the rain started falling and the water level from the flood plain rose high up to his knees, one man came by in a canoe and stopped and asked the pastor to jump in to his canoe as to take him to a safe place. The pastor replied, “NO I am doing the duties of God, my life is in the hands of God”. The kind man left and the rain started falling more heavily and the water rose to the pastors waist, but the pastor kept on walking , another man came with a speed boat and asked if the pastor can jump in as to save his life. The pastor replied “NO, only God knows where I am coming from and where I am going please leave me alone.” And the kind man left. The pastor couldn’t figure what would happen and he kept on walking and the water level rose to his chin. Another man came with a helicopter and asked the pastor to hold on the rope he dropped from the air as to take him to a safe place. The pastor replied “NO! NO! NO! My life is in the hands of God as I am here to do his duties.” The kind man left and the water level rose to his head and the pastor died under the water. When the pastor arrived in heaven, he shouted to God, saying “Oh my Lord, why did you let me die?” God replied “Who are you and when did you die?” The pastor replied “I am Pastor David and I died on (put the date of Children’s arrival). God opened his folder and looked and said “Yes you are Pastor David, sure you died on the (fill in the blank). The pastor couldn’t stop asking God why he had to die. God replied “Pastor David, it happened because I did not have another option because, first I sent a man with a canoe you did not want to use that opportunity, secondly I sent a man with a speed boat, you did not want to use that opportunity and last I sent a man with a helicopter and you did not want to use that opportunity. I am very sorry I did not have anything to do to help you pastor.”


13. SUPER CAMPER AWARDS

Focus on strengths and successes:

Research shows that children who experience successes and understand their strengths tend to be more flexible, resilient, and able to adapt to new challenges and situations. Camp provides many opportunities for children to explore and discover a range of strengths and experience many successes. It is important to give specific praise and celebration of accomplishments, no matter how seemingly small.

Different strengths and successes:

Communicating strengths and successes is an important practice to develop positive behaviour and foster resilience. This list contains just a few ways to celebrate the children’s strengths on a daily basis.

Specific Skills: Good at…. Running, reading, writing, singing, dancing, cooking, problem solving, teaching, sharing, observing, listening etc.

Personality Traits:Kind, caring, loving, generous, neat, organised, interested, helpful, appreciative, thoughtful, funny, tidy etc.

Leadership Values:Shows…… creativity, integrity, perseverance, team work, direction, focus etc.

Directions:

This is an award that by the end of the camp each child would have received. Each child only receives the super camper award once.

Materials: o Super Camper badges o Super Camper templateo Super Camper Poster put up in a predominant location on which to attach the slips

of paper Preparation: Fully brief all staff members about what the Super Camper awards are before

the camp starts. One way of introducing Super Camper is for the programme director to start awarding Super Leaders awards during meals as the camp is being set up or during training. This empowers new staff members, builds team work and gets everyone familiar with the process. It also allows them to practise giving them out to each other and focusing on individual strengths.

Objectives:

To enable children who come on camps to become more resilient To enable children to know and understand their own unique strengths To celebrate the children’s successes and strengths To create an accepting and non-judgemental environment


Keep a list of all the children’s names behind the scenes and tick them off as they receive an award, so you can keep track of who is yet to receive one. A good time is after the meal and before washing up. Any staff member can give an award, it’s important that the staff member who witnessed the strength / success is the one giving the award to that child.

On the Super Camper Label:o Describe: They tell the story of what the child did, and be specific. It’s no good

saying ‘Thembi was a good girl’- what did she actual do? Thembi won’t believe the praise and realise she has great strengths if she isn’t told exactly.

o Label: For example - kind, teamwork, smart, supportive, sharing, listening, friendship, problem solving (see list above for other examples)

o Praise: Well done! Awesome job, Great Work etc.


14.TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES

STATION 1Activity: Knots, Tangles, HandsActivity relevance to the topic: Talking to each other calmly, and practising effective communicationMaterials: NoneTime: 30mins – 25mins of game, 5mins of debriefProcedure:

1. Divide children into groups of six. In each group, get them to face one another in a tight circle. 2. Each person holds out their right hand and grasps the right hand of someone else, as if they

were shaking hands. 3. Then, each person extends their left hand and grasps someone else’s left hand (they must be

holding two different people’s hands)4. Everyone to remain holding hands. 5. Now explain the problem: The group has to unwind into a circle where everyone is holding

hands. The catch is that they need to do so WITHOUT letting go of the hands that each individual is holding!

o They can untangle by stepping over, crouching under, going through etc. each other’s arms

6. Give the groups a maximum of five minutes to try and solve this. It does not matter if individuals are facing outwards or inwards once they have untangled their circle. In many cases they won’t be able to make a circle, but they will have fun trying.

7. The objective is for the children to work together to try and solve the problem. 8. As the Eco-Mentor, try not to get involved in helping them untangle, but be close by to make

sure no one gets hurt, and that everyone is being listened to – all ideas and possible solutions must be heard.

9. Play the game as many times as you like, and try to have at least one group of 6 solve the problem.

Debrief: Talk to the children about what made this task difficult or easy. Did they realise how important it was for everyone to talk calmly, and not get frustrated with each other? Did they realise how important it was to listen to everyone’s ideas to solve the problem, and work as a team?

There will be four different team building activities which each group will complete. Eco-Mentors and Activity Leaders will be posted to a station to manage the running of the activity.

Please be sure to save enough time to have a proper debrief on the team building activity.


STATION 2

Activity: Mine FieldActivity relevance to the topic: This activity focuses on the importance of communication, both as active listeners and as clear, accurate speakers. Materials: Ropes, cones, cushions, balls, nets, plastic bottles (other objects to create a low level obstacle course), and children use their bandanas for blindfoldsTime: 30mins – 25mins of game, 5mins of debriefProcedure:

Set Up

Create a low level obstacle course with the items above. The obstacle course should have a wall or “goal” at the end. Make a boundary line surrounding the obstacle course.

Instructions

Tell children that they are going to work with partners in this activity and that in this game the ability to speak clearly and listen carefully will save their lives. Introduce the Mine Field and explain that the object of this game is to move from one side of this Mine Field to the other without stepping on any of the highly explosive “bombs” that have been planted in this Mine Field. The challenge however, is that you must do it blindfolded. The only way to get across is to listen carefully to your partner who will be waiting at the boundary line and giving you clear instructions as you walk through this dangerous obstacle course. If you do step on a ‘mine/obstacle’, you are ‘exploded’ and have to go back to the start.

Be sure that everyone understands the directions and then pair the children up. Then ask them to decide who will speak first and who will listen. Let them know that as soon as they blow up, they must return to the start and try again. Once they have successfully completed the course, they switch roles. After each partner has had a turn, children must then partner up with other children and repeat the exercise.

Debrief Questions:

1. What did it feel like to be the one giving instructions?

2. What did it feel like to be the one taking instructions?

Safety concerns: Falling is a possibility as children are blind folded. Be careful to avoid dangerous (i.e., glass, sharp) objects in the obstacle course. Keep the boundary level with the ground to prevent falls


STATION 3Activity: SPIDERS WEBActivity relevance to the topic: Participants practice working together, putting the group before the individual, and strategizing for success.Materials: Wool, small bells (5-6), 2 poles, mats or soft surface to construct spider web overTime: 30mins – 25mins of game, 5mins of debriefProcedure:

Set up:

Construct a “spider web” as a criss cross of wool with equal number of openings as there are participants. Openings should be of varying sizes and at different heights. Tie bells to the wool at random intervals in the web. Place soft mats under the web.

Directions:

Gather participants on one side of the spider web. Instruct them that they have a challenge to complete as a team that will require them to practice using trust and some other team skills in order to get achieve. You can ask them to review some of the skills learned in the calculator activity (making a plan & testing it out, listening, working together, taking turns)

Next explain the object of the activity. Explain that each person must move from this side of the spider web to the other side by going through the openings. Now, there are two very important rules. One, once someone uses an opening, that opening becomes closed to the rest of the group and two, no one is allowed to touch the web. If they do, the entire team must start over. Tell participants that it is their job to help everyone through to make sure that the entire team makes it to the other side.

Allow participants to give it a go. Notice if there is any strategizing or planning taking place.

Questions during the Activity

What isn’t working? What do you think you might try instead? What do you think will happen if you try

that strategy?

Encourage ideas from various campers. Let them try out several ideas and keep going until they find success.

Once campers have done it successfully...

Debrief Questions:

What did you do that enabled everyone on your team to make it through successfully? What skills helped you succeed? Why is teamwork so important to this activity?

Safety Concerns: Be sure that there is a mat or soft ground beneath the spider web. When campers pick each other up to get through the web, be sure that their necks are protected and that they are using the “stiff tree” technique from the trust falls to prevent injury. If campers are acting


inappropriately stop the activity and explain the seriousness of protecting each other’s safety and link it to trust.

STATION 4

Activity: Sinking ShipActivity relevance to the topic: This activity gives participants a chance to work together to accomplish a challenging task. It demonstrates the importance of including all members of the team. It also requires following directions.Materials: A blanketTeam size: Between 4 and 6Time: 30mins – 25mins of game, 5mins of debrief

Procedure:

1. Set Up

Place a blanket open in the centre of the play space. Make 6 cards with images (eye/left arm/right arm/eye/blank/blank); four bandanas

2. Instructions Gather the team together around the Ship (blanket). Explain that they will have to work as a team to all stay on the ship which is represented by

the blanket, folded in half, until help arrives. But, tell them, that there is an additional challenge. The ship has been hit by a massive wave

and is slowly sinking, some of the campers have lost the ability to use one of their body parts but they must however, all help to stay on the ship

Instruct each camper to pull a card that will indicate which body part they will not be able to use in the activity. Once they have pulled a card, tie a bandana on that body part. (Blindfold the “eyes”.)

Once they get everyone on to the ship, you get them off and fold the blanket in half again. Follow the same procedure until you know they can’t get anyone on. This is when they are saved by a rescue boat.

Concerns

Non-sighted players run the risk of falling. Beware of potentially hazardous objects in the area

Debrief:

What challenges did you face as a team? How did you overcome them? Was everyone included in this activity? How did it feel to be blind? How did it feel to only have the use of one arm? How do you think you worked as a team


15.ANIMAL OBSTACLE COURSE

Materials: Timer (even the one on your phone works perfectly); Items from around the camp to build your course (brooms, chairs, water bottles, etc.) *Note: you do not have to use exactly what is shown in the picture – be creative

1. All the groups will complete this activity together. Have two children go through the obstacle course at one time. They should be from two different teams, ‘competing’ against each other.

2. Talk about the way these animals move. They will have to move through the obstacle course like these animals. Have them practise each movement out of the obstacle course first (eg. Clear a path for them to sprint like cheetahs; Have them stomp in a circle like heavy elephants; etc.)

3. Set up the obstacle course as shown. Each set of obstacles requires the children to move and act as an animal that you have discussed with them. Try to spread it out so that they have plenty of time and space to move as each animal:

4. In their teams, each child must make it from beginning to end. Time the teams, and the team that does it in the quickest time, wins

This activity requires discussion around the various characteristics of the animals mentioned at each step in the obstacle course. Discuss these first with the children, and then explain the obstacle course.

Start out hopping / leaping like a frog around boxes / crates / chairs.

Jump over the broom like an impala!

*Note: Don’t make this too high!

Cheetah – Sprint as fast as a cheetah! The fastest land animal in the world, a cheetah can reach 112km/h in just three seconds – that’s faster than a sports car accelerates! Its body has evolved for speed, with long legs, an elongated spine, adapted claws to grip the ground and a long tail for balance.

Impala – Jump as high as an impala! They are very fast runners and amazing jumpers, with the ability to leap 3 metres high and 10 metres long which helps them to escape from predators.

Frog – Leap like a frog! Many frogs can jump at least 30 times their body length, and some smaller species of tree frogs can jump 50 times their length. This is the human equivalent of jumping the length of a football field without a running start.

Elephant – Walk like an elephant! Weighing up to 6000 kg (6.6 tons) and measuring up to 3.3 m at the shoulder, the African elephant is the world’s largest land mammal.

Giraffe – Take long strides like a giraffe! Giraffes have very long legs (1.8metres to be exact!). They take very long strides and can move at 60kms per hour!

Zebra – Zig Zag like a Zebra! Zebras are built for speed and long distance movement.

Snake – Slither like a snake! The snake will contract its muscles starting at the head, moving its body from side to side, creating a series of curves.


Sprint like a cheetah to the finish!

Walk like a big, heavy elephant! Use your arm to show the elephant’s trunk.

Zig zag like a zippy zebra between the water bottle *Note: You will have to mark each point of the zig zag with a water bottle so that they know the path they will need to zig zag on.

Slither like a snake through the boxes *Note: You might want to use chairs instead of boxes.


16.BEAKS – HOW BIRDS BEAKS HAVE ADAPTED (pg 19 of Children’s Workbook)

ECO-MENTOR NOTES: The shape of a bird's beak can give us many clues as to what kind of food primarily makes up its diet. Ducks use their flat bills like strainers sifting plankton out of the water. Eagles have strong hooked beaks that they tear their prey or bits of plants with. Sandpipers use their long beaks to probe in the sand while woodpeckers use their strong chisel-like beaks to peck insects out of wood. Sunbirds use their needle-like beaks as straws to get nectar from flowers. Each beak is specialised for the food that the bird eats.

MATERIALS:

Cards with bird photos and names Utensils: Strainer (duck), knife (eagle), nutcracker (parrot), sharp tweezers -first aid kit

(woodpecker), straw (sunbird), scoop (pelican), Cards with food types (or collect actually items in the bush such as seeds, plants, nuts, insects

etc.)

ACTIVITY:

Talk about adaptations and how animals have developed special tools to deal with their environments.

1. Have the children think of all the different shapes of bird’s beaks. Use the notes in their workbooks.

2. Spread out the cards with bird photos and names along a line (random order)3. Place all the various utensils out on a table in a line below the cards (random order)4. Place the food stuffs cards along a line below the utensils (random order)5. Now hold up each utensil and have the students guess which bird's beak acts most like this

utensil. Ask the children to put them all in the right order – photo / name with the utensil and food type together

For example: Eagle-knife-mouse, woodpecker-straw-insects, parrot-nutcracker-nuts, duck-strainer-plant and seeds from water and mud, pelican-scoop-small fish, sunbird-straw-nectar.

6. The children can then practice trying to pick up the food stuffs (seeds, nuts insects etc.) to ‘eat’ them using the utensils, if you have collected them from the bush.

Debrief Questions:

1. Are there any other birds you can think of that use their beaks in a different way?

Children will learn more about bird adaptations by studying different bird beaks and their specialised uses.


2. Why do you think it’s important that different species of birds eat different food?3. If you were a bird, what would you like to eat?


17.FEET - WHOSE FOOT AND WHY? (pg 21 of Children’s Workbook)

MATERIALS: Workbooks and pens; small items such as balls, pens, stones etc.; rope / string; bucket

ECO-MENTOR NOTES: Just like beaks, feet can give clues about a bird's food, habitat, and behaviour. Feet can be used for scratching, wading, grasping, perching or swimming. Sometimes birds even use their feet to defend themselves.

Birds' feet are covered with heavily scaled skin. This "scaly" skin is helpful because it actually strengthens the foot. Birds can't wear shoes, so they need this scaly skin to help prevent wear and tear due to walking and perching.

A bird's feet and toes are made up mostly of tough tendons and bones. The feet don't have very many nerves, blood vessels or muscles. This is what enables a bird to land on cold metal perches or walk on ice when temperatures drop. A bird on a cold surface doesn't feel cold from its feet the way you would if you walked barefoot over the same surface. Often, a bird will constrict the blood vessels in its feet to prevent additional blood from flowing into its toes.

The blood vessels in the legs of birds are located right next to each other. Because of this, the warm blood flowing from the birds' body transfers some of its heat to the cool blood returning from its feet. This helps the bird stay alive. If the warm blood didn't heat the cold blood, the birds' core temperature could be overwhelmed by cold blood from the feet. The bird's core temperature would drop, endangering the bird.

ACTIVITY:

1. Teach the children about bird’s feet, using the Eco-Mentor notes above. 2. Have the children take their socks and shoes off. They should all stand up and try to:

Grab small items with their feet and put them into a bucket – birds have to use their feet when building nests, holding onto food, catching prey etc.

Balance on one leg – like a duck / flamingo Balance on a log or a rope on the ground – like most birds do on branches

3. Discuss the different functions bird's feet can serve. Discuss different bird habitats and the type of feet that might be adapted for each lifestyle.

Have the children link the foot with the right bird in their workbooks

Debrief Questions:

1. Do all birds have the same type of feet? Why not?2. Which bird has webbed feet and why?3. Which bird has sharp claws and why?18.CIRCLE OF LIFE (pg 25 of Children’s Workbook)

1. Have the children sit outside under the trees. They should sit in their own space, and can lie down if they would like to.

2. Ask them to look, smell and listen to the sights and sounds around them. Once they’ve had a few minutes to do this:

Children to understand why different species have adapted to their surroundings by having different shaped feet


CIRCLE OF LIFEUse the notes below (which are in the children’s workbooks) to teach the children about the web of life, food chains and food webs.

INTRODUCTION

We share the Earth, our home, with all living things. All living

things are interconnected – so we must take care of them. Our survival depends on it.

Conservation means “wise use”. We need to use the earth’s resources wisely so they can support

life for the future. If we do not look after the air, soil, water systems, plants and animals, there will

be imbalances in the natural world. For example, if we continue to cut down trees, animals that

depend on those trees to survive will be negatively affected.

WHAT IS AN ECOSYSTEM?

An ecosystem is a community of plants, animals and smaller organisms (like insects, fungi, mosses

and lichens) that live, feed, reproduce (make more of themselves) and interact (have an effect on

each other) in the same area or environment.

An ecosystem includes all of the living things (plants, animals and organisms) in a given area,

interacting with each other, and also with their non-living environments (weather, earth, sun, soil,

climate, and atmosphere).

For example, think about a little puddle of water in the bush. In it, you may find all sorts of living

things, from insects to plants to frogs. In order to survive, these things depend on non-living things

like water, sunlight and temperature, and even nutrients in the water for life.

It is easy to think that parts of an

ecosystem stand by themselves, but they do not. Another example could be cutting down a tree.

Cutting down a tree affects all the birds that lived in it, all the vegetation growing beneath it that

depended on its shade, all the animals that depended on it for food and so on.

Activity

1. Have the children sit outside under the trees. They should sit in their own space, and can lie down if they would like to.

2. Ask them to look, smell and listen to the sights and sounds around them. Once they’ve had a few minutes to do this:


Listen to your Eco-Mentor carefully, and see if you can complete these sentences using the words

from the block below:

Each organism has a part to play in the ecosystem. Each living thing in the ecosystem depends on

other living things. For example – the sun:

The ________ plays a very important part in the ecosystem. It provides the energy for all life on

Earth and therefore is important for all Earth’s ecosystems.

_________________ change sunlight into their own food, which they use to support their own

lives. This process is known as photosynthesis.

When ____________________eat plants, they eat this “ready-made” food, formed from energy

originally provided by the sun. The sun’s energy is therefore passed along to them.

In this way, the sun’s _________________ fuels every living thing.

Nature is a master recycler. Nothing is ever wasted. When a tree dies, beetles eat the wood and

fungi break it down, returning nutrients to the __________ for other plants to use. Recycling is

very important to the natural world, and we are a part of that world, so we should

__________________ too.

Recycle sun plants

soil energy animals

All living things need energy to live – like a car needs petrol to drive. Every time an animal does

something (eat, run or sleep) they use energy. They get energy from the food they eat. Plants use

sunlight, water and soil to get energy.

A food chain shows how each living thing gets food – and how nutrients and energy are passed from

creature to creature.

Food chains:

Begin with plant-life, and

End with animal-life.

Some animals eat plants, some animals eat other animals. A simple food chain could start with grass,

which is eaten by a hare. Then the hare is eaten by a jackal.


THE ECO-SYSTEM IS MADE UP OF PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS AND DECOMPOSERS

As you know, eco-systems are made up of many different organisms. We’re now going to look at a

few.

Producers: plants are called producers, because they produce (or make) their own food. They do

this by using light energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air and water and nutrients from

the soil to produce food. The process is called photosynthesis.

Consumers: animals are called consumers

because they cannot make their own food, so they need to consume (eat) plants and/or animals.

o There are three groups of Consumers:

- Herbivores – animals that only eat plants. This includes leaves, grass, flowers, seeds,

roots, fruit, bark, pollen… Some herbivores: antelope, zebra, cows, bees, grasshoppers…

- Carnivores – animals that only eat other animals. Some carnivores: lions, eagles, sharks,

frogs, owls, spiders…

- Omnivores – animals that eat plants and other animals. Some omnivores: humans,

monkeys, some birds…

The sun (light energy), water, nutrients and carbon dioxide are all taken in by the plant.

The plant then uses them to make glucose/sugar, which is the energy/food for the plant.

Oxygen is also produced by the plant in this cycle, which is then let off into the air.


Decomposers: bacteria and fungi are decomposers – because they eat dead plants and animals and

in the process they break them down and decompose them.

A FOOD CHAIN

Now that we know who likes to eat what for dinner, we’re going to look at food chains. All living

things need food to give them the energy to grow and move. A food chain shows how each living

thing gets its food.

The sun is very important for all living things, without the sun the plants would not grow, without

plants there would be no animals.

Let’s look at an example of a food chain:


It starts with grass (producer), which is eaten by locusts (a consumer), which are eaten by mice

which are eaten by snakes (consumers), which are eaten by hawks (consumer). Energy is being

passed from one animal to another.

After a hawk dies, decomposers break down the body, and turn it into nutrients, which are released

into the soil. The nutrients (plus sun and water) then cause the grass to grow.

So food chains make a full circle, and energy is passed from plant to animal to animal to

decomposer and back to plant! There can be many links in food chains.

A food chain always:

Starts with a green plant (All plants are PRODUCERS.)

Which is eaten by an animal (All the animals in a food chain are CONSUMERS)

A food chain ends with a predator (The predator is at the top of the food chain)

A FOOD WEB

A food web consists of many food chains. A food web shows the many different paths plants and

animals are connected.

For example: A hawk might also eat a mouse, a squirrel, a frog or some other animal. The snake may

eat a beetle, a caterpillar, or some other animal. And so on for all the other animals in the food

chain. A food web is several food chains connected together. This is also known as a web of life.

Here is an example of a food web from savanna grasslands


QUESTIONS

1. Where does your Team Animal fit in? Is it a producer, consumer or decomposer?

2. Mention any other special facts you’ve learnt during this lesson that could be relevant to your animal.

3. What is the process called, where plants convert sunlight into energy?


INTERESTING FOOD CHAINS AND INTERACTIONS AMONG BIRDS

Vultures

Vultures are scavengers, and have a very important role to play in the environment. Vultures have many biological adaptations that make them well-suited to being scavengers, for example, they have the most have excellent eyesight and a strong sense of smell. They use these keen senses to locate rotting carrion (dead, decaying animals) while they are soaring high over land. Many vultures are also bald, meaning they have no feathers on their head. This prevents bits of carrion, which can carry toxic bacteria, from sticking to feathers and infecting the bird.

Vultures are very important in keeping ecosystems healthy. Because of their role as nature’s rubbish bins, vultures are able to keep the environment clean and free of contagious diseases. These birds have an extremely corrosive stomach acid that allows them to consume rotting carrion. These scavenged leftovers are often infected with anthrax, botulinum toxins, rabies, and cholera that would otherwise kill other scavengers (like hyena for example). By ridding the ground of dead animals, vultures prevent diseases from spreading to humans and animals.

Oxpeckers

The rhinoceros and the oxpecker have a mutual symbiotic relationship. A mutual symbiotic relationship means that these creatures help each other in a mutually beneficial way. The oxpecker lives upon the rhinoceros as well as other large animals, such as cattle, giraffes and zebras. The bird feeds on the ticks, horsefly larvae and other parasites that it finds on the rhinoceros. This feeds the bird and cleans the rhinoceros.

The oxpecker receives sustenance by feeding upon the rhinoceros, and the rhinoceros receives the removal of parasites and protection when the bird warns of approaching predators. There are several well-known associations between birds and large mammals. Cattle egrets, for example, are often see in the company of buffalo and elephants.

The oxpecker stands guard while living and feeding on the rhinoceros, watching for danger. The bird warns the rhinoceros of danger by making loud chirping or hissing noises. The rhinoceros treats the oxpecker as a guest. The oxpecker's role has resulted in the given Swahili name of "askari wa kifaru"; this translates in English to "the rhino's guard."


19.WEB OF LIFE / FOOD WEB

Materials 1 spool of string, or wool, or twine Set of labelled Web of life cards (one for each participant) with parts of the food chain.

Examples: sun, plants, insects, elephant, leopard, rabbit, spider, bird, hawk, water, snails, fish, turtle, crocodile, frog, antelope, etc. Make sure there are more plants and small animals than large ones. Add a "people" card to show the impact humans have on the environment.

Directions: 1. Pass out these cards to all the children.2. Everyone stand in a circle. Think about which card represents what all life needs to grow (the

sun). Hand the end of the string to the "sun" card.3. What would be next in the chain? It would be plants, so the “sun” throws the ball of string (still

holding the end of the string and now creating connections) to the “plant”.4. Children continue throwing the ball of string to another child and the child catching the ball of

string needs to try and explain why the organism on his/her card interacts with the organism that threw the ball of sting.

5. The game continues until everyone has had a turn at catching the ball of string (there will be a very small ball left!). The string is now complex and tangled (a web) and everyone is connected to everyone else.

6. When all the cards have been used, choose one of the organisms in the game. Discuss what would happen this organism was removed from the environment. After a short discussion, let the organism try and fall down (out of the web). As the chain collapses, discuss the importance of each living thing in every habitat.

7. EXPLAIN: Anything that happens to part of the web has an effect on the whole system.

This lesson goes hand in hand with the circle of life lesson. It doesn’t matter which lesson is done first, but make the connection between the two lessons - to explain how all things are interconnected. This activity will help the children have a better understanding of how everything is dependent on everything else. It is important to remember that animals and plants have an important part to play on our planet and in our lives.


20.WHAT MAKES A BIRD A BIRD? (pg 16 of Children’s Workbook)

1. Talk about the special birds you can see around Chelinda. Either show these birds to the children in bird books, or have them look in their workbooks. About 400 bird species occur in Nyika. Some specials include:

Augur buuzard Blue swallow Denham’s Bustard

You are very lucky if you

2. Talk to children about the seven characteristics of a bird from the notes below. 3. Be sure to talk about flightless birds – ostriches and penguins.4. Ask them if they know the names of any birds that they have seen around camp, and talk about

each of these characteristics that you may have seen in birds while on camp.

Birds are unique in the animal kingdom for many reasons, but only one thing truly sets them apart – feathers! Birds are similar to mammals, reptiles, fish and amphibians in that they are vertebrates (have a backbone). They are warm-blooded and have a four-chambered heart that regulates their body temperature, just like mammals.

Feathers perform a variety of functions for a bird – insulation (to keep it warm), protection, sexual attraction and flight management. In both warm and cold conditions, feathers help regulate (keep constant / the same) the body temperature of the bird. The colour patterns of feathers are called ‘plumage’ and serve as camouflage from predators or as a display mechanism to attract a mate.

Bird Characteristics1. Warm-blooded: Birds, like mammals, are warm-blooded. This means their internal (inside) body processes control their body temperatures no matter the external (outside) conditions. This allows the bird to maintain high energy and metabolism during flight. By comparison, reptiles and amphibians are cold-blooded, meaning they rely on external temperatures to regulate their body temperature.2. Eggs: like many other animals, including reptiles and amphibians, birds hatch from hard-shelled eggs. (Animals like crocodiles, tortoises, terrapins, turtles and certain snake species hatch from soft shells)3. Bills or beaks: Birds use their beaks to get food, drink water, tear or break food into pieces, gather nesting materials, preen (clean themselves), feed babies and protect themselves from enemies.4. Feet: Birds usually have four toes on each of their 2 feet. They use their feet to walk, stand, hop, perch, grab prey/food, carry things, swim, wade and dig.5. Crop: The crop is a pouch just below the bird’s throat, which stores food temporarily and starts the digestion process before it enters the stomach. It is a thin-walled pouch where birds can

This activity requires a discussion around the characteristics of birds, and then a game of Bird Olympics.


store food before it is sent the rest of the way to the stomach. The crop stores food that will later be digested by the bird. It allows birds to eat really fast and then digest the food later. This helps decrease the time the bird spends exposed to predators while feeding.6. Feathers: Feathers are a unique feature only to birds. Feathers are formed from keratin, the same protein that makes scales on fish, horn on rhinos and nails on our feet and hands. 7. Hollow bones: Birds have hollow bones filled with air and this helps them to fly. Hollow objects are lighter than solid objects and, because of this, birds use less energy in flight and need less food.Birds have incredible characteristics that have allowed them to fly, find food, protect themselves, migrate and reproduce (make more of themselves). The physical characteristics include bright colours, waterproof feathers, streamlined body shape and perching feet. Behavioural characteristics include communication to others, building nests, migration and ways of finding food. These characteristics are referred to as adaptations. Adaptations are modifications or changes which help the species survive in its particular habitat.

Some bird have all the characteristics of a bird, except for one – they cannot fly. Examples of birds that are flightless (in other words, cannot fly) are ostriches and penguins. They have lost their ability to fly through adaptations and evolution.

5. Now, the group is going to compete against each other in The Bird Olympics! Refer the children to their workbooks where they have pictures of these different birds.

Activity: Bird Olympics Materials: Ruler or tape measure; watch to record time; paper for recording resultsInstructions:

Set up the five stations, as shown below Have each child in the group complete each activity in the Olympics

Station 1 – Martial Eagle Set this up next to a flip chart, or a wall, so that children’s ‘wingspan’ can be marked off. Need a ruler/tape measure. Mark off eagle’s wingspan on the board.

A Martial Eagle has a wingspan of between 1,9m and 2,0m Ask the children: Why would some birds need such big wingspans?

o After a bit of discussion, give them the answer: Birds with big wingspans are able to soar (glide in the air) for hours without using much energy.

Demonstrate: How big is your wingspan? Measure children’s wingspans against the eagle’s wingspan marked out on a flipchart (or maybe even a wall that you can mark lightly with chalk). Keep track of the children’s wingspans.

Compare: Who is the Olympic Champion? How did they measure up to the eagle’s wingspan? Who had the biggest wingspan?

It might be a good idea to mention to the children what they Olympics is. It is and international sports competition in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions (like swimming, running, hockey, horse riding etc.).


Station 2 – Flamingo / Duck

Set this up where children have space to stand on one leg. You will need a timer and a piece of paper to record the times.

Some birds, like flamingos and ducks, can stand/sleep on one foot for hours at a time. Ask children: Why would they do this strange thing?

o Answer: Feathers keep birds warm and insulated. Legs of flamingos and ducks do not have feathers (featherless) and lose a lot of heat while standing. So birds keep one leg warm at a time by tucking the leg up close to its body.

Demonstrate: Each child should take a turn to stand on one foot for as long as possible, while keeping their eyes closed. (They are not allowed to change feet)

Compare: Who is the Olympic Champion? How did they match up to the flamingo/duck? Who could stand on one leg the longest?

Station 3 – Owl

Set this up where children can stand opposite each other. Need a timer and a piece of paper to record the times children can keep eyes open without blinking.

Owls can stare for hours without blinking. Ask children: Why owls would need to stare for so long?

o Answer: Owls are nocturnal and hunt for prey in the night. Because of the darkness they need to stay alert to be able to locate their prey which is usually a small mammal. They also need to take advantage of the minimal (very low) light

Demonstrate: Measure the time it takes for each child before they blink – keeping BOTH eyes open.

Compare: Who is the Olympic Champion? How do they match up to an owl? Who could stare for the longest?

Station 4 – Woodpecker / Sunbird / Kite (birds that hover)

Set this up where children have space to ‘flap’ their arms. Need a timer and a piece of paper to record numbers of flaps.

Black-shouldered Kites flap their wings very fast when hovering in the sky above their prey. Ask children: Why would it need to flap its wings so fast?

o Answer: Typically, a kite will hover 10 to 12m above a particular spot, looking down, sometimes for only a few seconds, often for a minute or more, then glide swiftly to a new vantage point and hover again. They do this to spot their prey while hunting.

Demonstrate: Children take turns to flap their arms (wings) like a hovering Kite and everyone counts how many flaps they take in 10 seconds. Record all the numbers of flaps of each child.

Compare: Who is the Olympic Champion? How do they match up to a Kite? Who could fit in the most ‘flaps’?

Station 5 – Falcon


Set this up outside where children can run for approximately 20 metres with nothing in their way.

A Peregrine Falcon can fly up to 300km/hour! That’s faster than most cars can drive! Ask children: Why would this bird need to fly so fast?

o Answer: Peregrine Falcons are large powerful birds and use their amazing speed to pursue, attack and catch quick-moving prey like small birds and mammals.

Demonstrate: Mark off a flat area of 20m long. Have a Start Line. Have children race against each other.

Compare: Who is the Olympic Champion? Who could fly as fast as the peregrine falcon?

Debrief: Ask children how they compared to birds. Can they do all the things that a bird can?


21.CONSERVATION MESSAGE (pg 35 and 36 of Children’s Workbook)

WHY BIRDS ARE IMPORTANT IN AN ECOSYSTEM

Birds are important in the food web, and can be scavengers and consumers. Birds help maintain sustainable population levels of their prey and predator species and, after

death, provide food for scavengers and decomposers. Many birds are important in plant reproduction, providing their services as pollinators and seed

dispersers. Birds also provide critical resources for their many host-specific parasites, including lice that eat

only feathers, flies adapted for living on birds, and mites that hitchhike on birds from plant to plant and even between countries.

Some birds are considered keystone species as their presence in (or disappearance from) an ecosystem affects other species indirectly. For example, woodpeckers create cavities that are then used by many other species.

THREATS TO BIRDS

Climate change can change habitats, which in turn changes the distribution of species, it can cause diseases and invasive species to spread. Drought can impact many bird species through loss of wetlands or other habitats, loss of food, loss of breeding sites etc., not to mention making it hard to find water to drink.

Garbage / rubbish poses several threats: some birds see brightly coloured bits of rubbish as food and will feed them to chicks or eat it themselves, and others get tangled in rubbish – all of which can cause injury or death.

Heavy metals toxicity such as lead and mercury poisoning are typically a problem for raptors, seabirds, and waterfowl who ingest lead shot, fishing tackle, or eat contaminated food.

Many seabirds are caught in fishing nets, entangled in lines and nets, or lose food sources because of commercial fishing.

Below are a few threats that birds face. Talk to the children about each of these. Guides should feel free to add to this information – this is just a guideline.

Be sure to cover:

How birds are important for the eco-system and the web of life / food chain / food web

What we can do to help protect birds

Activities after the lesson:

Be sure to tell the children to write down a few what they are going to do to help protect birds on page 35 of their workbooks.

Thereafter, they are going to fill in the ‘My Pledge to the Environment’ on pg 36 of their workbooks.


Wind turbines, powerlines, buildings, windows, and vehicles all contribute to the unnatural deaths of millions of bird annually.

Agricultural threats to birds include: breeding disturbances, pollution, wetland drainage, pesticide use, habitat loss and much more.

Habitat Loss: natural habitats becoming smaller due to more human settlements, mining activities, farming, etc.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?Here are a few basic ideas of what children could do in and around their homes to help protect birds Diversity is key. One of the most important features for birds is having a diversity of plant life,

with shrubs and herbaceous plants that grow under trees and plants at different heights and groupings. Plant as many different, native types of trees and plants as you can.

o Having many different trees and plants means that you will have many different types of insects. Different birds specialise in eating different insects.

Create a water source. Wild birds need a continuous supply of fresh, clean water all year long. Look for a basin that can be cleaned easily and has a gentle slope so birds can wade into the water. Put this outside your home, and watch the birds come drink.

When walking in the bush, or even in your community, stay on the pahts and respect restricted sections of sensitive natural areas, especially during nesting season.

Learn to identify the common birds of your community, and teach other young people the value of birds and other wildlife.

Do not use harmful chemicals or pesticides in your garden. Keep learning and sharing, and doing your best to look after the environment.

22.


MAKE YOUR TEAM MASCOT

Here are a few examples:

In their teams, children should collect natural materials from around camp to make a group mascot.

They should be encouraged to only collect items that are lying on the ground – they are not to pick or break things off of trees or plants.

Children should also use this time to revise what they’ve learnt on camp so far so that they are prepared for their fun quiz!


23. EXTRA BITS AND PIECES

STORY:

King of the birds

Long ago when the world was new, Nkwazi, the great fish eagle, called all the birds together.

“As you know,” he said, “Bhubesi the lion is king of the beasts. But why should he speak for us birds? We need to choose our own king … and as I am so majestic, I say it should be me!”

All the birds began to chirp and chatter until one voice rose above the others. “Nkwazi, you are majestic, it’s true,” said the giant eagle owl, Khova. “But my huge eyes see everything that happens. This makes me very wise – and a king really needs wisdom!”

Again the birds twittered loudly, until the kori bustard, Ngqithi spoke. “I think I should be king!” he said. “Kings need to be big and strong, and I am the largest bird of all.”

The birds began arguing about who should be king. Then a shrill voice suddenly rose above the din, “Excuse me! Excuse me!” It was tiny Ncede, the Neddicky bird. Although the crowd laughed at his cheekiness, they allowed him to speak – but none of them could believe it when he said that HE should be king!

“And what exactly would make you a good king?” asked Nkwazi, after they had all stopped laughing.

“Nothing really,” said Ncede, “but I should have as much chance as anyone else!”

“All right,” said Nkwazi, “let’s have a competition!” All the birds liked this idea. They agreed that on the first day after the full moon, when

the sun touched the tip of the highest mountain peak, they would all take to the air to see who could fly the highest. The winner would become their king.

The big day arrived. The birds watched patiently as the sun rose. Though little Ncede was determined to prove he could be king, he knew his wings were too weak to fly very high.

So, just before the birds took off, he crept silently underneath Nkwazi’s wing feathers. The fish eagle was so busy watching the sun that he didn’t feel a thing.

There are two stories which you can read with the children around the campfire, or during quiet/reflection time.

In their workbooks, the children also have a few extras to keep themselves busy – colouring in activities, a word search and a few other things. Be sure to make use these wherever time allows.


The instant the sun touched the tip of the mountain, the birds rose high into the sky. Soon most of them grew tired, and only the fish eagle, the owl and the bustard were left in the race.

Khova was the first to drop out. As he sank to the earth, Nkwazi and Ngqithi flew up higher and higher … but after five minutes, the heavy bustard could go no further. “Ah, Nkwazi,” he called sadly as he swooped to the ground, “you win!”

“WHEEE-WHEEE-WHEEE!” shrieked the fish eagle triumphantly, gathering his last drop of strength and climbing a little higher. But suddenly he heard a taunting voice. “Not so fast, Nkwazi!” chirped Ncede, shooting out from under his wing and rising a little above him. “You haven’t won yet!” Poor fish eagle! He was utterly exhausted, and could climb no further. With a groan he fell to the earth.

The birds were furious at Ncede’s trickery. As he hit the ground, they rushed angrily at him – but before they could act, the quick little bird zipped into a deserted snake hole.

“Come out!” screeched the birds, “and get the prize you deserve!” But although they guarded the hole all night, Ncede stayed exactly where he was.

“Let’s take turns to stand guard!” said Nkwazi in the morning. Khova agreed to take the first watch while the others went off to sleep or hunt. He waited for ages, but there was no sign of Ncede. “My eyes are so strong,” he said to himself, “I only need one. I’ll close my right eye and use my left.” A while later he swapped, opening his right eye and closing his left. This went on for some time, until finally he forgot to keep one of his eyes open and fell fast asleep.

This was just what Ncede had been waiting for! Off he flew, straight into the forest. “You fool!” shouted Nkwazi, who had seen Ncede disappearing just as he came to relieve Khova, “YOU FELL ASLEEP!”

Khova was so embarrassed that he decided to hunt by night and sleep by day so that the other birds wouldn’t have a chance to tease him. Meanwhile, Ncede flitters about in the forest, never stopping long enough to be caught. And who became king? Well, the truth is that the birds were so upset with Ncede that they never chose a king!

STORY:

How MaDube turned into a Zebra

Once upon a time when stones were as soft as clay, there lived a man called Shumba who had four wives and twenty children. They lived happily in their homestead although wives did not tolerate each other to some extent, reason being that they felt jealousy of each other. They competed in every household chore that they did in order to get more attention from their husband. As a hunter, the husband left their homestead everyday with his elder sons for hunting as this was their main


source of providing relish to the family. The four wives in the other hand were responsible for attending to the fields, fetching water and firewood and also for taking care or the children.

As known of our African culture, names are mainly derived from animals-, Shumba ‘s first wife was called MaNdlovu( elephant) , the second MaNcube( Baboon), the third one MaMpofu( Eland) and the last one MaDube( Zebra). MaDube being the youngest from Shumba’s wives, was the most loved and always got favour from her husband which made the other three to be very envious of her. She would get a bigger share from whatever Shumba brought from the forest, this made the other three wives not like her, worse she had only had daughters yet the others had sons who helped their husband in hunting.

Each time the hunting team brought their catch home and MaDube got the usual bigger share and the other wives’ hatred grew more and they planned on eliminating her. As it is taboo for one to eat meat from an animal that bears the same name as ones name, it so happened that one day Shumba and sons caught and big and fat Zebra and some impalas. MaDube was given her share of impala meat and the Zebra was shared amongst the three wives. Impala meat is very nice and tender and was Shumba’s favourite , since MaDube got the most of it , that meant she had most times of cooking the favourite dish for Shumba. Shumba spoke highly of MaDube’s delicious meals in front of the whole family.

One day after MaDube had prepared relish for the evening meal, the other wives took zebra meat and mixed with Madube’s impala relish. When it was supper time, unknowingly MaDube at the mixed relish and she instantly turned into a zebra. There was commotion at Madube’s house as her children pushed and screamed running across the yard scared of what their mother had turned to. Everybody from Shumba’s homestead came out of their huts to witness what the noise was all about. MaDube the zebra was now standing near the hedge bellowing very loud that the other villagers came running to Shumba’s homestead too.

Children and women were crying, also were Shumba’s three wives. The village headman called the traditional healer for consultation and to help restore peace . The traditional healer, Kamba, threw his bones and started roaring like a lion. He shouted on top of his voice, commanding Shumba and his three wives to come forward. They all moved towards the traditional healer shivering and shaking as they knew if they disobeyed the commandment they would be dealt with severely as Kamba was a feared man. Kamba drew a line with a mixture of ashes and water together some herbs and asked the four to jump the line. Shumba jumped first, followed by his eldest wife MaNdlovu to the last one MaMpofu. As she joined the other three, suddenly they all screamed and started rolling on the ground. This went on for a few minutes, Kamba commanded that they tell everyone what had happened of which they complied to. They all confessed of their hatred and how they mixed MaDube’s relish with zebra meat. Shumba was so angry when he heard this and he wanted to give his wives a thorough beating but was stopped by some men from the village.

The headman was also furious and disappointed of what the three wives had done to MaDube and he instantly passed a judgment that the MaNdlovu, MaMpofu and MaNcube be banished from the village. They were chased away into the forest and Kamba splashed some mixture of herbs on the zebra’s body and it turned back to MaDube again. Shumba was so happy to see his wife and he vowed never to marry again. They lived happily ever after with MaDube and the rest of the Shumba clan

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